University Club

Members Only club… expensive, but…
You DO get what you pay for!
AMENITIES: This «club» is located in the striking building across from the John Hancock (glass tower). It features a large pool treated with ozone (rather than mere chlorine), hot tub, saunas, squash courts, gym, running track, classes (included in membership price), massages, laundry service and much more. There’s also a restaurant offering good food at a reasonable price for Boston.
MEMBERSHIP: Open ONLY to University graduates, their application process to gain membership is selective and lengthy. I picture old Ivy League guys planning their next golf game over drinks at the bar. NOTE: I am not a member, but have attended events there with members.
THE DEAL: The restaurant is pretty good at
customizing dishes to most tastes or dietary needs.

The food here is usually very good and the facilities are very nice. I’ve been treated very rudely by the staff here on multiple occasions so I have very mixed feelings about this place. For some reason when I bring guests the greeter is very rude and not welcoming. For the price of membership they need to be friendly.

This place is ridiculously posh. Then again, compared to BSC or the Y anything seems pretty nice. But you do so get what you pay for.
My parents have had a membership here all my life, theoretically so they can exercise regularly, but I don’t think they go that often. I realize how wasteful it is, now that I’ve faced harsh realities of the healthclub scene.
The club is housed in a beautiful building across the street from the Hancock tower and two doors down from the Lyric Stage. They seem to have an obsession with renovating as they do it every 2 – 3 years. They have a huge pool treated with ozone (Take that icky chlorine!), a hot tub, several saunas, numerous well-​lit squash courts, plenty of exercise equipment (even for rush periods), a running track, numerous free classes (including scuba diving), laundry service, and super-​friendly knowledgeable staff. A fellow named Vladimir runs the massage service so I have a hard time believing it is anything short of amazing.
There’s also a restaurant on the first floor that is quite affordable (sub $ 20) with some quite amazing seasonal delicacies. They are great about altering menu items to suit your tastes or dietary needs. The bar menu is adequate and most items float around $ 10.
The application process is quite complex and highly selective. When I walk in, usually to meet my parents for dinner, I can’t help imagining the members chatting softly about eugenics and the good old days in the cherry-​lined rooms with fox hunting paintings on the walls.
Yeah, it’s that kind of a place. Amazing. But with a weird vibe. And yet I am so very jealous.